MTD 074 Series Operator'S Manual Download Page 9

9

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Operating 

Your Lawn 

Mower

WARNING

The operation of any 

lawn mower can result 

in foreign objects 

being thrown into 

the eyes, which can 

damage your eyes 

severely. Always wear 

safety glasses while 

operating the mower, 

or while performing 

any adjustments or 

repairs on it.

Be sure no one other 

than the operator is 

standing near the lawn 

mower while starting 

engine or operating 

mower. Never run 

engine indoors or 

in enclosed, poorly 

ventilated areas. En-

gine exhaust contains 

carbon monoxide, an 

odorless and deadly 

gas. Keep hands, feet, 

hair and loose clothing 

away from any moving 

parts on engine and 

lawn mower. 

WARNING: The operation of 
any lawn mower can result in 
foreign objects being thrown 
into the eyes, which can damage 
your eyes severely. Always wear 
safety glasses while operating 
the mower, or while performing 
any adjustments or repairs on it.

Starting Engine

WARNING: Be sure no one other 
than the operator is standing 
near the lawn mower while 
starting engine or operating 
mower. Never run engine indoors 
or in enclosed, poorly ventilated 
areas. Engine exhaust contains 
carbon monoxide, an odorless 
and deadly gas. Keep hands, 
feet, hair and loose clothing away 
from any moving parts on engine 
and lawn mower. 

1.  Push primer three times. Wait about two seconds 

between each push. See Figure 2. In temperature 
around 55° F or below, prime five times. Do not prime 
to restart a warm engine.

2.  Standing behind the mower, squeeze the blade 

control against  upper handle. See Figure 2.

3.  Holding these two handles together firmly, grasp 

recoil starter handle and pull rope out with a rapid, 
continuous, full arm stroke. See Figure 2. Keeping 
a firm grip on the starter handle, let the rope rewind 
slowly. Repeat until engine cranks. Let the rope 
rewind each time slowly. 

Stopping Engine 

1.  Release blade control to stop the engine and blade.
2.  Disconnect spark plug wire from spark plug and 

ground against the engine.

Using Your Lawn Mower

Be sure the lawn is clear of stones, sticks, wire, or 
other objects which could damage the lawn mower 
or the engine. Such objects could be accidently 
thrown by the mower in any direction and cause 
serious personal injury to the operator and others.

WARNING: If you strike a foreign 
object, stop the engine. Remove 
wire from the spark plug, thor-
oughly inspect the mower for any 
damage, and repair the damage 
before restarting and operating 
the mower. Extensive vibration 
of the mower during operation is 
an indication of damage. The unit 
should be promptly inspected 
and repaired.

Operating Tips

1.  For best results, do not cut wet grass.
2.  New grass, thick grass, or wet grass may require a 

narrower cut.

3.  For a healthier lawn, never cut off more than one-third 

of the total length of the grass. 

4.  Your lawn should be cut in the fall as long as there  

is growth.

5.  Adjust your ground speed according to  condition of  

lawn.

Figure 2

2

3

3

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Summary of Contents for 074 Series

Page 1: ...ained in effective working order by the operator In the State of California the above is required by law Section 4442 of the California Public Resources Code Other states may have similar laws Federal laws apply on federal lands A spark arrester for the muffler is available through your nearest engine authorized service dealer or contact the service department P O Box 361131 Cleveland Ohio 44136 0...

Page 2: ... will help you assemble prepare and maintain the unit for best performance Please read and understand what it says Customer Support Slope Gauge 3 Safe Operation Practices 4 Setup and Adjustment 6 Operating Your Lawn Mower 8 Maintaining Your Lawn Mower 10 Trouble Shooting 12 Safety Labels 13 Parts List 14 Warranty 16 If you have difficulty assembling this product or have any questions regarding the...

Page 3: ...alk behind mower on such a slope it is extremely difficult to maintain your footing and you could slip resulting in serious injury Operate RIDING mowers up and down slopes never across the face of slopes Operate WALK BEHIND mowers across the face of slopes never up and down slopes Use this page as a guide to determine slopes where you may not operate safely Do not operate your lawn mower on such s...

Page 4: ...d shirts Shirts and pants that cover the arms and legs and steel toed shoes are recommended Never operate this machine in bare feet sandals slippery or light weight e g canvas shoes 8 Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts or under cutting deck Contact with blade can amputate hands and feet 9 A missing or damaged discharge cover can cause blade contact or thrown object injuries 10 Many injur...

Page 5: ...while engine is hot or running Allow engine to cool at least two minutes before refueling 10 Never over fill fuel tank Fill tank to no more than inch below bottom of filler neck to provide for fuel expansion 11 Replace gasoline cap and tighten securely 12 If gasoline is spilled wipe it off the engine and equipment Move unit to another area Wait 5 minutes before starting engine 13 Never store the m...

Page 6: ...ith height of handle tighten wing nuts at the ends of the lower handle shown in Step 3 For convenience of operating you may adjust the handle height as follows a Remove the wing nuts shown in Step 3 and remove the lower handle b Position each handle bracket stud into the top hole in the lower handle See Step 3 inset c Tighten the wing nuts 4 Insert post on cable ties into holes provided on the low...

Page 7: ...arter rope into the rope guide Tighten rope guide wing nut Position C 6 Install wheels as follows in Step 6 a Using hardware from hardware pack secure the wheel to the deck as shown in Step 6 The small bell washer should be installed with the crown side facing the wheel b Secure the wheel to the deck with the large bell washer and nut Repeat on other sides 7 Each wheel can be adjusted to change th...

Page 8: ...starter rope to start the unit Gas and Oil Fill Up 1 Check oil level and add oil if necessary Follow engine manual for this See Figure 1 above for location of the oil fill 2 Service engine with gasoline as instructed in engine manual See Figure 1 above for location of gas cap WARNING Use extreme care when handling gasoline Gasoline is extremely flammable and the vapors are explosive Never fuel the...

Page 9: ... or below prime five times Do not prime to restart a warm engine 2 Standing behind the mower squeeze the blade control against upper handle See Figure 2 3 Holding these two handles together firmly grasp recoil starter handle and pull rope out with a rapid continuous full arm stroke See Figure 2 Keeping a firm grip on the starter handle let the rope rewind slowly Repeat until engine cranks Let the ...

Page 10: ...nect spark plug wire Drain gasoline from lawn mower or place a piece of plastic under the gas cap See Figure 4 2 Tip the mower so that it rests on the housing Keep the side with the air cleaner facing up Hold the mower firmly WARNING Never tip the mower more than 90 degrees in any directions and do not leave the mower tipped for any length of time Oil can drain into the upper part of the engine ca...

Page 11: ... evenly WARNING An unbalanced blade will cause excessive vibration when rotating at high speeds It may cause damage to mower and could break causing per sonal injury 8 Lubricate the engine crankshaft and the inner surface of the blade adapter with light oil Slide the blade adapter onto the engine crankshaft 9 Place the blade on the adapter such that the side of the blade marked Bottom or with part...

Page 12: ...g wire loose 2 Blocked fuel line or stale fuel 3 Vent in gas cap plugged 4 Water or dirt in fuel system 5 Dirty air cleaner 6 Carburetor out of adjustment Engine overheats 1 Fill crankcase with proper oil 2 Remove blower housing and clean 3 Refer to engine manual 1 Engine oil level low 2 Air flow restricted 3 Carburetor not adjusted properly Occasional skips hesitates at high speed 1 Adjust gap to...

Page 13: ...13 7 Safety Labels WARNING DO NOT remove safety or any labels from mower for any reason ...

Page 14: ...14 22 22 4 7 19 33 21 1 24 8 11 2 12 14 16 32 30 20 25 18 15 9 5 15 17 3 23 31 26 10 13 28 27 6 28 29 30 ...

Page 15: ...9 1092A Upper Handle 17 725 0157 Cable Tie 18 731 04019 Trail Shield 19 731 1034B Hinged Chute Deflector Assembly 20 749 04037 Lower Handle 21 732 1014 Torsion Spring 22 734 04063 Wheel 7 x 1 5 Star Diam Gray 23 748 0376C Blade Adapter 24 736 0270 Bell Washer 265 ID x 75 OD 25 736 0451 Saddle Washer 320 ID x 93 OD 26 736 0524B Blade Bell Support 27 736 0105 Bell Washer 375 x 870 x 063 28 736 0331 ...

Page 16: ... of the exterior finish due to use or exposure d Service completed by someone other than an authorized service dealer e MTD does not extend any warranty for products sold or exported outside of the United States its possessions and territories except those sold through MTD s authorized channels of export distribution f Replacement parts that are not genuine MTD parts g Transportation charges and s...

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